Electronic systems and circuits have made a significant contribution towards the advancement of modern society and are utilized in a number of applications to achieve advantageous results. Numerous electronic technologies such as digital computers, calculators, audio devices, video equipment, and telephone systems have facilitated increased productivity and reduced costs in analyzing and communicating data, ideas and trends in most areas of business, science, education and entertainment. Frequently, these advantageous results are realized through the use of distributed network resources that facilitate leveraged utilization of centralized resources. While utilization of distributed resources communicatively coupled in a network is often advantageous, appropriate configuration and management of the distributed resources are usually critical to operational integrity and very complex. Convenient and simplified presentation of network management information is usually very desirable.
Networks are often arranged in numerous configurations comprising a variety of network types. Some of the most popular types of network architectures comprise Ethernet, token ring, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Frame Relay, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), X.25, and Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC). The networks usually consist of a variety of different devices (e.g., clients, servers, routers, hubs, gateways, etc.) that are communicatively coupled by various communication mediums (e.g., coaxial cable, twisted-pair cable, fiber optic cable, radio waves, microwaves, etc.). These networks are often arranged in architectural hierarchies such as local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). Usually, LANs are distinguished from WANs based upon the geographical area they cover and sometimes the number of users connected to the network. The significant variety of devices, communication mediums, and communication protocols that may be included in a network increase the difficulty and complexity of compatible network management.
Standardized protocols typically provide beneficial techniques that attempt to address compatibility problems often encountered with otherwise ad-hoc network management features of various network devices. One such standardized protocol is an Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). SNMP is a set of rules that govern communication of network management information (e.g., network device statistics) and network devices that have SNMP enabled can be managed with SNMP network management software. Various network devices track information associated with their operational activities and/or information. For example, a router may track the amount of information communicated on each interface port and errors that occur or a Web server might keep a tally of the number of hits it receives. The operational activity and/or configuration information is typically stored in a database often referred to as a Management Information Base (MIB).
Network management information is usually vital for maintaining network operations and providing a level of security for the network management information is often desirable. While some network management activities (such as monitoring and performance management) may not require strong security protection, it is typically beneficial to provide relatively stringent security measures directed to protecting other network management activities (e.g., configuration, accounting and fault management) from illicit interference (e.g., snooping, hacking, etc.).
Simple Network Management Protocols usually provide for the optional implementation of some level of security with later versions of SNMP (e.g., version 3) typically facilitating a wider range of optional security provisions. Knowing an SNMP version is supported is usually very advantageous and provides an indication of security levels that are potentially available. In addition to knowing the SNMP version that is supported, it is also often beneficial to know enabled security level information within the SNMP version. For example, a network manger may have a false sense of security if the network device is compatible with an SNMP version that supports relatively strong security provision features but the strong security provision features are not enabled. A convenient and accurate indication of enabled security for network management information communications usually facilitates implementation of security measures directed towards minimizing illicit interference with network operations and management activities.
What is desired is a system and method for facilitating convenient access to information associated with a supported network management protocol.